HAYAGRIVA/HAYAGREEVA/MADDI

Last week end we  had to visit a family friend for dinner at his home. In Karnataka we have a tradition of carrying chakkuli,  kodubale, gulpavate etc whenever we visit families with kids. So I had prepared some crunchy benne murukku. I was not satisfied with a single goodie and wanted to add one more item, may be a sweet dish. Decided to prepare hayagriva since it is yummy, healthy and could be served as a dessert after dinner. Above all very easy to prepare and seldom somebody can go wrong in churning it out.
                                
Hayagriva also known as maddi is very popular  in  Kannada brahmin households, prepared as naivedyam , offering, during varamahalakshmi festival , navarathri and lord  Hayagriva.
This hayagriva maddi  makes me fondly remember my mother in law for her impeccable cooking skills and attention to detail. I had once prepared hayagriva for her. Keeping in mind  her ripe age and capacity to digest lentils, I chose to have a soft mushy consistency and her reaction was ?. WHAT have you prepared is it hoorana?  For those who are not familiar, hoorana is a kind of filling for dumpling. She also cautioned me that things are to be the way they are supposed to be and we should not try to alter to suit our convenience. That lesson stays with me till date.
                        
  Hayagriva is a very simple yet very delectable dish. Combine cooked chick pea lentil, jaggery  syrup, grated coconut, ghee, dry fruits and flavor with cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, simmer for a few minutes and hayagriva is ready. Savor it hot and enjoy melting jaggery and ghee infused with aromatic spices or cold and still relish. So find out what is the sequence of steps for correct consistency  and taste right away.

Ease - easy
Preparation time   - 10 minutes
Cooking time - 30 minutes
Ingredients
  • Bengal gram dal (chick pea lentil) - 250gms
  • Jagerry 200gms
  • Grated coconut - 1 cup
  • Dry fruis - as you please
  • Cardamom - 4
  • Cloves - 3-4
  • Nut meg powder - 1 tiny pinch
  • edible camphor - 1 tiny pinch (optional)
  • Ghee - 3 - 4  spoons

                                   

Method
  • wash and pressure cook chick pea lentil with 2 measures of water 
  • In a wok melt one spoon ghee, fry dry fruits and keep aside. 
  • Add cooked dal, jaggery, ccoconut and keep stirring under low flame taking care to see that it does not burn
  • When all the moisture evaporates add dry fruits, ghee and powdered cardamom, cloves and nutmeg. crushed edible camphor (pachcha karpoora) and mix well.
  • Add a dollop of ghee for extra richness if you wish to when it is still hot.
Melt in the mouth hayagriva is now ready to serve.
Note
  • Do not over cook lentils, consistency will be lost.
  • Check if the lentil is cooked soft enough, after adding jaggery lentils cannot be cooked
  • Edible camphor adds a heavenly flavour if added in right quantities. Excess of camphor leaves you with a bitter after taste.

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